Embracing Reality
by Asurat
Summary: Dying sucks. Being reborn as one of the main characters in a fictional super powered ninja world even more so. Troublesome,at least why couldn't I have just been born a Nara. SI/OC as Sasuke
1. Prologue:Breaking Reality

Prologue: Breaking Reality

Death is a sudden thing if you are lucky, if not then it's a rather prolonged and excruciating event. In my case well you could say I was lucky, as far as a dying man could be of course.

I was a twenty-year-old university student, whose name hardly matters at this point, that in no shape or form was special or different from the rest, just a face among the many. My death too wasn't that spectacular to be honest. At one point I'm just crossing the street and in the next moment I am embraced by eternal darkness or so I thought, now while I wasn't the most religious individual out there I had always wondered what followed after death but the answer I got as you can imagine was not something I could have expected even in my wildest of dreams.

The eternal darkness suddenly shattered and gave way to color. Red, everything was cast in a red light as far as they eye could see, an endless expanse colored in crimson. If that wasn't enough for my brain, reality once more started shifting as buildings hazed into existence, slowly shaping the scenery around me.

As if in a blink or maybe an eternity I found myself standing in front of medium sized wall that was inspired heavily by Japanese medieval architecture. But before I could contemplate why which ever deity governed things decided I should be pulled from limbo in order to watch a wall in a spooky setting I found my legs unwillingly moving towards an unknown direction.

It seemed control was taken away from me completely as I found my head moving without my command too but at least I was able to see where I was going and that was towards the entrance of the complex that had just sprung into existence before me.

As I walked the hairs on the back of my neck suddenly stood and a slight chill travelled down my body in response to the ominous winds that had appeared. It was only then that my brain realized that until this moment I hadn't been feeling anything, not the wind, not the slight chill in the air or the smell of ash mixed in with copper that hit my nose. My heartbeat quickened in anxiety as I struggled to comprehended what was happening.

It was as I finally reached the gate that I finally saw something familiar but instead of hope it only filled me with dread that was almost immediately vocalized "No, no, no, this can't be, what is happening."

The reason for my panic was simple, adorned on the wall was a symbol I knew quite well. It was the telltale signature red and white fan of the famous clan that played a major part in the series that basically introduced me to the world of anime. That's right in front or more like above my very eyes was the symbol of the Uchiha clan.

The scent of copper was growing stronger and before my brain could be given too much time, to process that I was seeing something that was fictional, my feet started moving once more past the gate and taking me into the compound.

Despite my mounting panic and my heart threatening to burst from my chest I was able to connect the dots to where I was or more importantly when. The realization only made the fear skyrocket as I desperately tried to regain control of my body and escape this retched place because I knew what would follow and I didn't wish to see that.

My struggles proved to be in vain and soon I found myself seeing the first of many bodies I would see tonight. An elderly couple sprawled on the ground in front of what appeared to be their shop, their life essence pooling around them and seeping into the cracked stone path.

Having never seen a dead body in person before it made me feel sick and bile rose in my throat as the stench of blood now overwhelmed my nose. My feet gave me no rest though and I was pulled from the scene only to encounter similar ones as I was dragged towards my final destination.

By the time I reached what was Sasuke's house my nerves were fried and if I was able to I probably would have suffered a heart failure with how fast it was pumping, in response to the all the fear I was experiencing.

Entering the house, I was treated with the sight of Uchiha Itachi in all of his anbu glory standing on top of the corpses of his parents. At this point he was younger then even I was and yet here he was, face incased in a mask of ice and indifference as his eyes focused on mine with a familiarity that shouldn't be there. Staring me down his smooth voice rang out through the room sending chills down my body "Foolish little brother."

That was all the warning I got before reality shifted and hell entered my eyes as I experienced the horror of Itachi killing every single member of the clan. Unable to close my eyes or make my body turn away I watched as he methodically went around carrying out his mission with brutal efficiency.

After what felt an eternity I once more found myself in control of my body and in front of that same wall this nightmare began in. Falling on my knees and emptying the contents of my stomach was the only thing I was able to do before I was once more pulled forwards without my consent.

Like some sort of demented torture, the event kept repeating itself, as if on a loop. I would return to the wall and then walk inside into the compound only to encounter Itachi and be forced to view him massacring the clan and his, our parents, over and over again.

Each time was worse than the last as bits and pieces of unknown memories would surface about each and every person killed. The sweet elderly couple giving me free bread, the chuunin passing by telling me I would make a fine shinobi. But by far the most painful shards were the one with my, his parents.

Events of my mother smiling and treating my injuries after practice, the sharp gaze of Father as we trained and he instructed me. Each and every one of them were like a sharp blade stabbing into my soul despite not being mine or maybe they were.

I never noticed how my body turned shorter and everything looked bigger or that instead of unknowns I could name every person and associate a memory with them. After what seemed an eternity a divergence from the loop happened. Instead of founding myself in front of that wall, I was in the middle of the road instead, the form of my brother before me once more.

His voice ever so cold and detached hit my ears rendering my soul asunder with every word he spoke "…Foolish brother. If you want to kill me, then blame. Hate me. And live on in shame. Run and run, cling desperately to life. Then one day come before me with the same eyes I bear now!" The sight of his accursed Mangekyō Sharingan staring through me and judging my worthless self was the last thing I saw as reality shattered around me.

Screaming I returned into the land of the living as everything within my line of sight seemed to sharpen and come into a focus. Despite being free from that hell I continued to tear my throat in screaming as my brain struggled to cope with the experience.

The last thing I saw before unconsciousness took me once more was the reflection from the pupil of the anbu with a bird mask hovering above me. The sight of two crimson orbs, with one tomoe spinning in each, attached to the face of eight-year-old Uchiha Sasuke. The sight of my own face.

* * *

 **An: Well this is my first attempt at writing a Story and as such I have chosen one of the most cliché things, a Self-insert as Sasuke. Yep you heard right, you can commence the tomato throwing now.**

 **Other things you might notice are probably some typos as I may have missed somethings. All in all, I am making this story because of a plot bunny that entered my head and wouldn't leave but I do hope you'll find some enjoyment in it. That's pretty much All I can think off, I'll see you in the next chapter.**

 **Slight Update: Noting major was changed minus adding a few words that were apparently crunched as I carried this over to here**


	2. Chapter 1: Shattered Reality

Chapter one: Shattered Reality

There were no screams the second time I awoke in the hospital, instead my brain and my body just felt numb. Eyes dispassionately watching the white tiles of the hospital ceiling I just laid in the bed unwilling to even muster the strength to process what was happening. I simply just didn't want to think why I was given a second chance or why instead being reborn as someone unimportant it was in the body of Sasuke of all places, a key instrument in the plot of the series. It was hard to even think myself as a separate entity then Sasuke, not after Tsukuyomi, not after I witnessed Itachi murder our parents and all of our Clan.

What he did was simply unforgivable and I would never forgive him, the sudden and unnatural rage that bubbled and came with that thought was hard to suppress even in my emotionally dead state but I eventually did. Yes, with this unnaturally, justified rage at him I truly couldn't consider myself not being Sasuke after that, deluding myself was never one of my strong points so it was better to just accept it, we were one and the same in the end.

Instead of mustering the will to actually face those questions of why I existed and was here that plagued my mind I did something I was actually good at and bottled it all before banishing it to the furthest reaches of my mind. I could not allow myself to remain in the condition I was, no Uchiha Sasuke had to appear cognizant and emotionally stable as far as a child that had just witnessed his whole clan massacred be in front of everyone.

I could not let them consider me damaged beyond repair, unsalvageable, because no matter how light hearted Konoha was portrayed a useless tool would be either thrown away or repurposed. The picture my mind painted for those options was not a pretty one, I was either to be eventually grabbed by Danzo and turned into a mindless drone doing his biding or the donor of a new Uchiha clan that would this time be truly brainwashed since birth to be loyal to Konoha until the bitter end.

The scariest thought was this were all theories and things I knew and would do in the place of others in same spot, Kami could only imagine what a true shinobi with the experience of Danzo or the Hokage would be able to think of. So I bottled everything away fear driving me to succeed because I needed to survive the path that laid ahead of me and I couldn't allow the weight of those thoughts to weight me down at least for now.

No I needed to adjust, to adapt and to become strong enough so noting could threaten me, not Orochimaru, not Itachi, not Danzo, not Madara and especially not Kaguya, noting would stand in my way, I would survive.

Had someone walked into that room at that moment they wouldn't have seen the sadness and depression of a crushed eight-year-old mourning the loss of his family but the glaring visage of Uchiha Sasuke trying to set the ceiling on fire with his angry red gaze.

* * *

I don't know how long I laid in that bed, contemplating and restoring my mental functions into some sort of normal working order. But soon enough the quiet that had settled was disturbed by the sound of the door opening and a female voice addressing me "Oh I see that you are awake Sasuke-kun. How are you feeling." My head turned to the source of the sound in order to see the pity filled look of the nurse, that was probably assigned to the room. She didn't even wait for my response before she entered the room and began fussing over me.

My brow only creased into a semblance of a frown before I replayed in a flat and clipped tone "I'm fine. "Of course the response was apparently not what she excepted as her face also adopted a slightly displeased visage while she pulled the curtains on the windows, letting the rays of the sun to filter in and illuminate the room better. That almost made me snort in displeasure, what was she expecting, for me to smile and be chirpy. I had just witnessed my whole world crumble not once but twice, she was lucky I was even speaking to her.

Her attitude having not endeared me, for the rest of her stay I remained silent while glaring out of the window my eyes roaming and absorbing the sight of bustling Konoha, occasionally catching the slight flickers passing through the rooftops.

Soon the nurse left me alone to continue to stew in the silence and trudge through the swamp that were my thoughts and emotions currently. Who knew bottling up emotional trauma would be so hard, I sure as hell didn't as several more depressing thoughts about my existence tried to surface to the forefront of my mind that I was forced to push back down. I actually regretted not talking to the nurse, at least she would have helped distract me for a while, stupid stubbornness.

My brooding was interrupted once more as I received the second visitor for my day, but this time it was a more familiar face that greeted me. With a scar running through his nose and brown hair tied in a ponytail and a shiny headband on his head Umino Iruka looked exactly as what I remember from the anime if only infinitely more real.

His whole body projected an aura of warm-heartedness and his eyes while concerned showed no pity only understanding and in that brief moment when our eyes locked I could understand why in the anime Naruto had been so attached to the man, as he was probably the personification of Will of Fire almost as much as Naruto himself would turn out to be.

Closing my eyes for a second and clearing my thoughts, I let out a breath before addressing the man "Iruka-sensei, what brings you here", His eyes only widened for a fraction before he chuckled awkwardly while rubbing his necks sheepishly "Can't a teacher come and check up on his hospitalized student."

Taking a pause his face took a more somber look before he continued "How are you handling it Sasuke-kun, I know it's probably not easy." The underline tone of sadness was unmistakable and his eyes showed an ounce of understanding as if he was speaking from experience. Even if I hadn't known his parents had been killed during the Kyuubi attack I would still have believed that he was genuine in his question.

That's why as I looked down at my hands as various flashes of both the genjutsu and the life of Sasuke passed through, I responded "I, I don't know sensei, if I were to summarize it I would say I feel numb, just numb..."

Before I could continue to try and force the words out a hand landed on my head and ruffled my hair slightly making it even more messy then it was. Before I could scowl and look up at the offender he once more spoke in an understanding tone "I understand, you don't have to say anymore but if you ever feel the need to share, my door will be open."

Despite everything I was feeling and I had bottle up I was grateful for the understanding Iruka was offering, it was a surprising thing but still welcomed. Though I doubted I would ever take him up on that offer as I couldn't show such weakness. Like with everything I would just have to deal with it alone eventually.

But for the sake of appearance I gave a hesitant nod of acceptance before we settled in a brief period of silence. Of course it didn't last long and Iruka alerted me with a clearing of his throat before he began speaking once more "I've also come to give you all the notes you had missed in the academy so you can be up to speed with the material once you return in a few days."

Despite the goodwill he had generated with me that statement almost made me laugh. Here was I a little kid that had just experienced a major traumatic event and I was still expected to return to studding to become a shinobi like nothing happened.

This was wrong, so utterly wrong and had my being not integrated with Sasuke's my reaction probably would have been more severe but the fact that seemingly a part of me that had been born to the head of the Uchiha clan, one of the two founders of Konoha, and had attended the academy already meant that this pill was easier to swallow and adapt to, not better but easier. Of course being the good shinobi in training that I was supposed to be I nodded in thanks and accepted it without hesitation outwardly.

It was a few hours later that the doctor visited and cleared me for discharge. That turned out to be a quick affair and soon I found myself on the streets of Konoha. It was quite surreal to think they would just let an 8-year-old just like that but I chalked it up as another weird shinobi world thing besides I had no doubt someone was keeping a watch on me from the shadows even if I wasn't aware of it. After all it wouldn't be good to lose the last Uchiha. Now if it was the Hokage's Anbu or Danzo's Root that were watching me was a whole another beast I didn't want to tackle, yet worried about non the less.

I distracted myself with watching my surroundings as my feet carried me to the only home I knew in this place. Konoha was in a way the same as it was portrayed in the manga and anime yet so much larger as my eyes roamed over the streets and building. It just seemed so much more alive with all the people bustling around me and the occasional headband reflecting the light and catching my attention. There was also a downside to all of this people's watching, rumors may not have spread far yet but it was enough as I was already receiving pity filled looks from people that were either able to recognize me or spot the fan stitched to the back of my shirt.

Unconsciously my step quickened as I tried to get away from all the attention and as I did I understood why Sasuke had grown the way he had if I the grown man was being irritated by the stares already. I probably will end up being constantly sour too at this rate, well more then I usually am.

It didn't take me long to reach the entrance of the Uchiha compound and as my eyes focused on the accursed gate where everything started I couldn't stop the sense of dread and sorrow that filled me, quickly followed by a surge of anger and hatred that bubbled out for feeling those things and for the memories just the sight of the gate was bringing up. Soon a wave of tired acceptance washed away all those feeling as the first drops of rain fell from the grey clouds, that had obscured the skies of Konoha, upon my head.

As if some sort of signal for me I moved past the entrance and into the streets as it continued to poor down and soak my young body. Of course everything was clean as I walked further into the district and there were no signs of the bodies nor the stench of death and blood in the air. All that was left was just the oppressive feeling of loneliness that had settled on my shoulders as I walked closer and closer towards where I saw hell, towards my own home.

By the time I reached my house my entire form was soaked and my hair clung to my head while my wet clothes weighted me down. As I reached the door and slid it open a memory came surging forwards and I instinctively said "I'm home" as I entered. Only the heavy silence and darkness answered my call and as my shoulders slumped while my heart clenched in sadness in response I walked further into the abyss.

* * *

 **An: Well this took a while but it's finally up. As before there might be some typos I've missed but besides that I hope you enjoy.**

 **Also since there was a review I couldn't respond to I am going to state it here but it will brief as I don't want to clutter. It was asked how the Oc came to be Sasuke and the answer to that in summary is that he is the result of botched reincarnation attempt.**


	3. Chapter 2: Picking up the pieces

Chapter 2: Picking up the pieces

The first night I spent in my new yet old home was restless and filled with nightmares of the massacre, robbing me from getting a full night of rest. I tried to ignore the nightmares and force myself to sleep but in the end I couldn't and so I rose from my bed before even the first rays of the sun had shined. Following the memory and instinct of the body I began going down what consisted of Sasuke's morning ritual.

Well I probably spent more time then he usually does in the bathroom to wash up due to me examining my reflection in the mirror and occasionally poking my new younger face. It was so different then my last one yet it didn't feel like that. I've always been able to adapt and shrug things off without much effort but it kind of scared me on some level how easily I was accepting things now, it was just not natural.

Of course not wanting to think about it I distracted myself with checking out the futures of my face and I could with completely honestly understand why the female population at the academy was so entranced with Sasuke back in the anime and manga, he was a cute kid. Well more like I was a cute kid and man was that going to get a while to get used to, not that I was ugly or anything back in my old life, no I was average but this appearance stuck out.

It seemed though the lack of sleep had introduced a new future to the young face and that was the light dark circles under my eyes as the result of lack of sleep. My fingers traced them and I was tempted to never fix my sleeping schedule in order to get rid of them as they were the only thing that reminded me of my old face.

Having wasted enough time I moved away from the mirror and quickly brushed my teeth and washed my face before existing the bathroom. As I moved towards the kitchen I periodically had to restrain my body form flinching as random memories associated with the house surfaced. I of course ignored them but a small unconscious part of me couldn't help but worry as the sizzling pit of hate and anger I had bottled up seemed to feed on them.

Once in the kitchen I was glad to see the fridge restocked and filled with enough food to last a week maybe, meaning I wouldn't be forced to go out in the village so soon yet. As I didn't feel ready yet to face all those looks I would be getting.

Wiping up a quick and simple breakfast I thanked my collage lifestyle for developing the ability to make a meal from almost anything as long as it was edible. I set down and devoured it quite fast seeing as I hadn't bothered to eat after getting discharged from the hospital. Once finished I picked up my dish and put in the sink not bothering to wash it as I moved to do something I had wanted to check since I had become coherent enough.

Moving out of the house I let my feet guide me through the compound until the building gave way more and more to greenery and I found myself in the same clearing that father had thought me the **Great Fireball Technique**. Shaking my head, I closed my eyes and focused on delving into my mind to search for the memories. After a couple of deep breaths, I felt the memory spring up as my muscle memory kicked in and slowly my body started going through the routine stretches little Sasuke went through every day. Sadly, while I completed them perfectly I noticed that it took me triple the normal time it usually took Sasuke to finish them.

That of course was just part of the problem but I was still unsure so steadily I also went through the katas of the academy style taijutsu. What followed was an hour of frustration, fumbling and awkward moves before they were finished. My suspicions proved correct as I sat on the ground to clear my head and contemplate why it was happening.

The problem was that while the memory was there and the body knew and had it committed to muscle memory the movements themselves felt disjointed and foreign somehow. The answer to that was not hard to figure out though and was rather simple in the end. In essence I may have the memories of Sasuke, the body of Sasuke but my mind was simply not that of Sasuke even despite our apparent merging.

This discovery was not good and I had only about 5 days to adjust and get comfortable in my own skin so to speak, or was that literally now. Sighing I raised off the ground and began to prepare myself for the long couple of nights ahead of me. Thankfully it was only disjointment and not me having to relearn everything from scratch. Or at least that was what I repeated to myself as I began going through the motion of repeating every bit of physical motion Sasuke had learned up until the massacre.

That of course also led me to discovery just how good the level of fitness shinobi had compared to normal people. Hell even now as an eight-year-old Academy student I had more fitness then I ever wished to have in my old body. The fact that I was also an Uchiha probably helped but that was a whole another matter. This body still had its limits far superior for sure but they were still there and I eventually felt exhaustion's grip as the last rays of the sun set and night began.

Not willing to push myself past the limits just yet I stopped and decided to call it a day and head home. Overall I was not pleased with my progress, I had gotten a little more comfortable with the movements but they were still not as natural as they should be.

After returning home and taking a quick shower to wash away the sweat and dirt I made myself some diner and reviewed the materials Iruka had left me while I ate. This time I washed the dishes but instead of going straight to bed I stayed up practicing the twelve hand seals, as they too had suffered the same effect, while also reading through various academy textbooks in order to familiarize myself with everything. It was a few more hours later that I succumbed to restless sleep filled with nightmares once more.

* * *

The next two days were spent almost identically with me getting up in the morning and then spending the entire day repeating and familiarizing myself with everything Sasuke knew. It was then that I made my second discovery but this time instead of a broad one like the shinobi fitness one was, it was more of a personal one. That discovery was that Sasuke Uchiha had undoubtedly been a prodigy, something I did not believe in fully when I had watched the series. Talented yes for sure but not a prodigy when compared to the likes of Itachi and Kakashi and a few other select individuals.

But now two days later I had revaluated my opinion on that because while they were still not as smooth and natural as they should be my movements had improved by leaps and bounds in this short time, in fact they had improved so much that I doubted anyone else would be able to spot it besides myself. Not to mention the ease with which I adapted to things, I doubt that I would have been able to progress so much and so quickly without that innate talent Sasuke had possessed. It would have probably taken me months instead.

Confident in being back to almost perfect synch with my body and that the rest will smooth out as I go I decided it was time to start training to improve instead of relearning again. Thankfully and conveniently I had memories of the routine Sasuke had set up so I at least knew what to do. With that prepared I set out and began, submerging myself into the motion of training until late evening. It was around that time that I arrived at the portion of training I was excited about yet also dreaded a bit. It was time for me to work on my ninjutsu if my imaginary schedule was to be believed.

Closing my eyes and centering myself I reached out for my chakra. I pleasantly found out having no trouble to do so and with rising excitement I reached for it before nudging it and starting to kneed it. Simultaneously my hands started waving the necessary hand signs with dexterity gained from constant repetitions. Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger echoed in my mind as my hands moved while also allowing me to feel how the chakra was slowly converted into fire as I ended the sequence on the tiger sign. Holding it I took a deep breath and felt my chest swell before I followed my instincts and exhaled while also pushing the chakra out.

The feeling was at first rather strange thing to experience but that was almost immediately forgotten as a marvelous roar of flame was released from my lips. My eyes shown with excitement as I fed chakra into the jutsu watching the flame expand as I breathed it out like a flamethrower. Holding it for a few more moments I cut off the chakra and basked in the warmth that lingered as the conjured flames disappeared.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm my exuberance I couldn't stop the satisfied pull of my lips at the accomplishment. Right now noting mattered and for the first time I didn't worry for anything. It was in that moment as if a piece of me had clicked that I realized what my calling was and it was the art of ninjutsu.

Of course I would aim to spread out but I knew this would my primary strength, the thing I would be focused the most on. I wasn't sure if that was the past Sasuke speaking or me but for once I didn't care or try to delve into it too much. Looking down at my hands and letting out another calming breath I decided that another try at this was required, maybe I will try to do the fireball version of this jutsu instead this time.

Sadly, I didn't get to experiment as much I had wanted, managing to pull of the jutsu three more times before my vision started to swim and dark edges appeared in my sight. Feeling light, I decided that I had enough training for the day and slowly trudged home, exhaustion finally catching up to me. I didn't even do more than have quick diner before passing out on my bed in a rare moment of dreamless sleep.

The rest of my allocated days of absence were spent pretty much the same way, training to exhaustion before returning home and passing out. The only difference in the routine being me sneaking in some experimentation with my Sharingan and seeing how long I can hold it wasn't as long as I'd hoped and it did reduce the amount of times I could use ninjutsu, seeing as it was putting, while not huge one, a still considerably big drain on my current reserves. With training that should change but for now the time I could use the Sharingan efficiently in combination with ninjutsu was limited.

My time of adjustment was coming to an end though and tomorrow I was expected to return to the academy and continue my shinobi training. With a small sigh I finished rereading the notes given to me for what was probably the umpteenth time before going to bed. After some restless sleep I woke up around dawn and started preparing for the big day, sneaking a quick morning run and some light training before showering and putting on some fresh cloths.

Stopping by the mirror before I left I stared at the reflection, examining my appearance for anything out of place. My outfit, consisting of a black high colored shirt with the Uchiha fan proudly sewed on the back and grey shorts, was pristine as it could be. The only thing probably a bit off was my slightly paler skin and darker circles under my eyes besides that I looked as normal as I could be for someone in my situation.

Nodding in satisfaction I moved away from the mirror and exited the house before beginning to make my way towards the academy. As I feared the news of what had happened had spread and I could feel the stares of everyone on my back as I walked. I could almost hear the whispers of "the Last Uchiha" too if I strained my ears. Gritting my teeth, I fastened my pace and in no time I found myself in front of the Academy entrance. Taking a deep breath to calm myself and prepare mentally for what was to come I entered the Academy building, taking my first steps towards being a shinobi.

* * *

 **An: Another update that took a while for me to upload. Besides that, I would like to say that when I decided to write this this story I didn't expect much and that it would get any attention at all. That's why I was surprised by the response I received from it.**

 **I know it doesn't look like much and statistically it really isn't but I was blown away non the less. So to all of you that have reviewed, favorite, followed or even just read and will do so in the future, thank you and I hope you enjoy and continue to do so. That's all and as always beware the typos and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 3: Arranging the pieces

Chapter 3: Arranging the pieces

I briskly made my way through the red door of the Academy building and entered, before starting to make my way towards where the memories were pointing the class room of my class was located. As I crossed the long corridor I couldn't help but compare the atmosphere of the Academy as the one from middle school. It was hard not to with the level of noise and the scores of children and teachers I passed.

I was both surprised and at the same time not at how hectic everything was. On one hand I had expected a stricter environment considering it was at its core a military establishment that thought the future generation of soldiers for the village. But on the other it was housing a bunch of kids ranging from as early as 6 to prepubescent teens so at least some level of chaos was to be expected.

Lost in the train of thoughts I quickly found myself in front of the door that lead to my classroom. Taking a deep breath once more to prepare myself for what was to come I then grabbed the handle of the door and slid it open. Thankfully I was a little early and as such the room was mostly empty with only a couple of kids being inside and seated. The only ones I could recognize straight away from my memories and that of Sasuke himself were Shino, Sakura, Shikamaru and Choji. I was internally surprised by how early the latter two were here but discard the thought quickly as I really didn't care all that much.

Letting my gaze wander some more around the large room and scanning the seats in order to locate the best place to sit. After a few more brief moments I finally settled on one and made my way towards it. It was in the middle row and right next to the window, in other words perfect. Of course it was the one Sasuke had previously used but I liked to think I had the ability to choose on my own and for it to only be a coincidence that it turned out to be the same seat.

As I made my way through the rows and towards I caught the gazes of the few that were in the classroom staring and examining me like some sort of zoo exhibit. It seemed they were aware of what had happened too if the quieting of the room was any indication. As a response to that my brow instinctively creased in displeasure as I tried to ignore all the staring while I reached and took my seat before resting my head on my hand and turning to look out the window.

Soon the novelty of my appearance wore off and chatter resumed as normal, though I was able to catch a few mentions of my name. I really shouldn't have been surprised by the outcome but never the less I was still somewhat affected and the worse part was that almost half of the class wasn't even here yet. That of course soon changed and more kids began filtering in and filling the room and by extension increasing the noise level. I had forgotten how loud large groups of children could be but that was being fixed quite well currently.

This new level of fullness also served to bring more stares and whispers directed my way but I steadily continued to ignore them even if they were grating on my nerves. Thankfully I was able to mostly tune them out as it got closer and closer till the time lessons usually started. There may have been a few brave souls that tried to begin a conversation with me but a few side glares dissuaded them quick enough. What was even more surprising was that most of said souls had been female and I just couldn't believe that fan girls were a thing already at this point, we were eight for kami's sake.

Thankfully I was finally able the rest as I spotted the door of the classroom open and a serious faced Iruka entered. Of course minus a few more serious students that had the decency to quiet down and sit on their desks most of the classroom remained a cacophony of shouts. The exasperated sigh from Iruka was the only warning I got before he quickly used his signature move to silence the future ninja of Konoha "Quiet down so I can begin rollcall!"

After a mad rush the classroom settled down completely and then Iruka proceeded to call out the names of the class. I tuned them out for the most part only waiting for my name to be called, which didn't take too long for it to be called. Without moving from my position on leaning on my hand I raised my other one and spoke loud enough to be heard "Here." as a response I got a subtle nod and a flash a smile from the chuunin before he continued down the list.

As I was looking away I was also able to spot a flash of blonde hair which held my attention long enough to spot the bored face of the titular protagonist of the series. Honestly for a kid with the world on his shoulders he looked kind of ordinary if not a little sad but if I hadn't watched or read Naruto before I never would have guessed he would be the one to bring peace to the elemental nations.

Which of course explained the way Sasuke had treated the orphan initially. It seemed though he had noticed someone was observing him and so he turned his attention towards my direction, a scowl marring his face once he saw who had been watching him. I quickly averted my eyes as he stuck his tongue out but not before letting out an indignant huff, What a brat.

With the rollcall over Iruka quickly launched into the first lesson scheduled for the day, History of Konoha and its clans. All in all, it was an interesting lesson though probably only because it was so novel for me. What I was also surprised by was of how little propaganda littered the texts, it was still there but it was in no way blinding or obvious in its attempts. In a way that made a certain sense considering the job but still it was surprising and not what I personally had expected. The combination of all that helped the time fly by in a blink and soon the lesson ended with Iruka announcing lunch break followed by shurikenjutsu practice.

* * *

Thankfully I had thought ahead and made myself a bento, which honestly only consisted of cooked rice, as I was not in the mood for making anything elaborate that night. As the scared chuunin dismissed us a literal avalanche of children rushed out of the door in an uproar of shouts, laughter and all of between. It didn't help that it seemed most of the other classes in the academy took a break at the same time and as such I felt like I was back in the 5th grade, unnecessarily loud and annoying. Grumbling internally, I was able to find a secluded spot on one of the trees before digging in and enjoying my lunch, taking the brief moment of respite while I could.

Thought it didn't last long before I heard a rustling coming down from the foliage below and as my eyes traveled down to see what the disturbance was they locked with the pale and pupiless eyes of one Hyūga Hinata as she was looking up. It was quite amusing how her already big eyes widened and she turned slightly red before she averted them and spoke somewhat quietly with a small stutter "Ano, Sorry Uchiha-san di-didn't think anyone else would be here."

I could only shake my head in response before responding with amusement coloring my tone "There is nothing to apologize for ,This is even probably your spot if I'm not mistaken then." pausing long enough to spot her nod of confirmation I continued "Then sit and eat your lunch in peace I won't disturb you and I doubt you would do the same ,right Hyūga-san" the quick shake was enough a response and as such a returned to eating my unfinished bento .The rustling and the quiet mutter of Itadakimasu was enough to know the lavender haired girl had agreed to my terms.

I followed her example and continued to enjoy my meal as an aura of peacefulness descended on to the area. If I caught her glancing my way in nervousness a couple of times or if she did catch my stare, wandering towards her due to me still marveling I was witnessing a character from the canon in the flesh and blood, then neither of us made a rise or mention of it and simply took in the moment of peace and quiet. Alas that was not meant to last and soon my ears once more picked up the sounds of rustling coupled with numerous girlish voice inquiring between each other if they were sure I had been spotted retreating to this area.

I still couldn't believe fan girls were already a thing this early, how was it even possible, I've heard that girls supposedly matured faster but common this kind of ridiculous. Thankfully they were nowhere near as stealthy as Hinata had been so I was able to hear them from further away and with enough time to actually try and hide from the attention. So with a loud clicking of my tongue I moved towards a branch that faced away from the clearing and with more foliage, hoping that it be enough, despite my uncertainness of that.

It didn't take long for the group of girls to reach the area and look around inquisitively, searching for any sign of me being there. With not being able to spot anything and with Hinata being the only other person there, as far as they were aware, the group of course turned their attention to her and approached her.

It was a girl with purple hair that was decided to be the spokesmen so to speak "So, we heard Sasuke-kun was supposed to be here, have you seen him?" she had put her arms on her hips and was trying to probably be more intimidating, not that she was considering her age, but it did seem to work somewhat on my lavender haired lunch companion as she shrunk away a little.

Honestly considering how early we were in the timeline I was expecting for her to cave and just tell them where I was but despite that she didn't. From my spot I was able to spot her square her shoulders a little as she mustered her voice to respond "Ano, I haven't really seen him but, but don't you think even then he deserves his privacy considering the circumstances."

As soon as she finished her sentence the lead girl loudly scoffed before responding in a hotly tone "Please, you just want Sasuke-kun's attention for yourself don't you, don't think we'll allow you to get ahead of us." Aggressive mutters of agreement began to spread among the group of fan girls as Hinata shrunk a bit on herself at the glares directed her way yet despite that the tiny Hyūga still didn't back down even if she still stuttered a bit "That is not true, I-I-I have no such interest in Uchiha-san and don't know where he is. I-I-I'm just trying to respect his feelings and sympathize as a fellow member of clan."

I couldn't help the widening of my eyes in surprise as her words reached my ears and the slight warming of my heart. After all, since I've awoken that was the first case in my list of interaction that there was no pity laced in the words but actual sympathy. Not to mention now that she said that, I noticed that none of the girls in the group of admires appeared to be from a clan origin from what my memory could tell me but were instead mostly civilians and from first generation shinobi families.

Now that I think about it that subtle nod I had caught Shino giving me suddenly made a lot more sense with my new perspective. The fact Ino, who I knew was one of the biggest fan girls in the show, was not present confirmed it even further. It seemed I had given less credit to the maturity of the rookie Nine then I should have.

While I was reevaluating my opinion on my classmates, it seemed the group of fan girls had decided to vacate the area and leave Hinata alone and by proxy myself too thankfully. With a relive sigh I retook my place on the open branch and continued to finish my lunch while my eyes drifted towards the lavender haired girl catching her stare and hopefully conveying the gratitude I was feeling not only for not telling them where I was but also for the way she had defended me and the consideration she had shown me.

Before long lunch break was over and I had finished eating so with a graceful leap I jumped from the tree and landed on the ground next to a slightly startled Hinata that was also getting up to leave. Quickening my pace slightly and moving ahead of her I then threw a hand up in a wave and turned my head slightly back, my eyes looking with hers once more "Thanks, Hyūga-san, I own you one." And with those final words, not waiting for a response, I returned to our classroom.

The day continued as normal from then on with the only other thing of note being the shuriken training class we had which I unsurprisingly ended with an almost perfect score and on top of the class as was expected of someone of the reputation I was supposed to have. All those late nighters of adjustment had paid off not to mention the genes of the Uchiha making themselves know, after all the clan was basically bred for being a shinobi since before the village were founded. As I walked back to the empty compound I couldn't help but think that all in all it proved to be an eventful day yet not as bad as it could have been.

* * *

 **An: -coughs awkwardly- Well this took even longer to finish due to a combination of crazy Rl and just being lazy but now it's here. Not much happens in this chapter plot wise and that would probably be the case in the next one too but things will start to pick up in pace soon.**

 **For now, that is all and as always see you in the next chapter and beware the typos.**


	5. Chapter 4: Stitching the pieces

Chapter 4: Stitching the pieces

After that first day in the academy I settled in somewhat of a routine as time passed by and days started to blur together in a combination of attending classes and training while I had free time. Building up from the first day being an academy student was not the most exciting of professions so to speak. Besides the few time we had outside guests to represent different styles and aspects of shinobi life and taijutsu and bukijutsu training it was fairly standard and boring school work, the novelty of the new history and customs having worn off on me.

Of course despite not being so interested in the theory aspect anymore, I made sure to stay on top of my studies and remain firmly in the lead when it came to ranking, anything less was unacceptable. Despite falling in the repetitive nature of school life and preparing for my eventual graduation It wasn't all work and no fun. As a matter of fact, I was making a sort of a friend in Hinata or at least friendlier acquaintances considering that despite continuing to eat lunch in the same place we had initially met we barely talked. But it was something because as days passed both of us slowly started drifting closer until we were both under the tree, only a few feet apart when we ate lunch, that and I had made her drop calling me Uchiha-san all the time so I counted that as progress.

Speaking of progress my eyes slightly drifted to the side only to meet their reflection in the glasses of my new shield against the horror called excessive social interaction as Iruka continued to drone about the greatness of the Second Hokage and his many reforms that helped Konoha keeps its place as a top village. This new arrangement was rather fresh and had happened only a few days prior when the trench covered form of Shino had wandered in the clearing me and Hinata used to have lunch in. After some small talk the Aburame had opted to stay with the forming rag tag group of social recluses and had continued to do so.

Surprisingly or at least to me was that I was the glue so to speak that kept things from descending into awkwardness between the newly formed group in the few first instances of us having lunch together. I accomplished that by being the one to take lead and always be the first to talk or keep up the small chatter. Oh boy was that hard but thankfully after a rather profound discussion on genjutsu things settled down and the burden of taking the initiative had been taken from me or at least in part. My two new acquaintances proved shrewder then I had thought and elected me as the lead imitator most of the time, the barely hidden pull of lips or twitches in case of Shino when I grumbled about it were telling enough.

As for the sitting arrangement it's self well one morning Shino had come early and taken the spot near me. After seeing the decline of pestering a quick silent conversation consisting of eye gesturing and muscle twitches I convinced him to keep at it and if he had started to drop hints that Hinata should follow his example and join the sitting arrangement then I turned a blind eye or threw in supportive comments. Barely eight and I was already taking part in albeit friendly complex social maneuvering if that wasn't telling about my future I don't know what was.

* * *

The rise of an inquisitive eyebrow from Shino was enough to pull me from my musings and with a subtle shake of my head I dispelled it before returning to taking notes and listening to the lesson.

Thankfully for my sanity and attention span besides the first and last class today's schedule was more focused on the physical aspect and as such it wasn't long before our class found itself outside running laps on the training course. We were supposed to run fifteen laps in the blaring sun while also passing an impromptu obstacle course in one of the sections of the field. The goal, as it was explained to us the first time we had done the course, before I had even become aware, was to build a primarily endurance and lay the groundwork for the pace usually maintained while out of the village on missions.

It sounded harsh and in reality it was as more than half of the class was struggling to maintain the pace that was set on us. While I had no trouble besides minor labored breathing and sweat I was by no means an exception seeing as around me was the pack consisting of the children that belonged in a clan, yes even Shikamaru, Naruto and only a few civilian children managing to keep pace with the rest struggling to catch up. The sad truth was that more than half of the faces at the back of the group would drop out and I wouldn't see for the rest of my life, after all from what my memories told me at the start of the year there had been nearly 40 children as part of the class while now they numbered around 28.

The exhausting run was not the end though and the moment we managed to finish the laps we were immediately set on practicing the sets of the academy kata as a way too cool down before moving to actual sparring. That was also something I had not been expecting, I had thought that we would do it in the beginning or after a lunch break but I was sadly not close with that guess. Instead what actual sparring consisted was of sweaty and tired children of various degree trying to maintain a proper stance.

Despite that this still was one of my favorite times in the academy, there was just something oddly relaxing and exhilarating at the same time to be in the thick of it and trying to overcome your own limits while simultaneously predicting and dodging the moves of your opponents before returning them tenfold, for safety reasons I had decided to blame the Uchiha blood in my veins for the odd feeling that bubbled every time I fought.

I idly wiped a bit of sweat from my forehead as the class gathered around the small training ring we would duke it out and waited for our names to be called and partnered up. The few fights leading up to mine were far from impressive but it was understandable, most us were still sort of beginners and tiredness was a factor that degrade the performance. Soon though my name was called alongside another one and while ignoring a few stray call out of good luck and wishes of swift demise to my opponent that only eight year olds could say I locked eyes with the only person to not be bothered by the laps we had just run.

This would mark my first time being paired against the resident blond Jinchuuriki and seeing his expression as he stood in front of me it seemed he had something of a grudge against me. Doing the sign as Iruka instructed at first both of us dropped into our respective stances. His was a lose form based on the academy kata similar to the one I currently had taken yet completely the opposite, where mine was tense with feet apart his was relaxed with arms to the side like he was about to go in a brawl. That turned out to be an accurate description because as soon as Iruka yelled start the blond was already charging with his fist cocked back.

That was a bit disappointing to see even if I had known he wouldn't be much of a challenge yet not to mention how young and untrained most us still were. It seemed though that the disappointment must have been obvious on my face because as soon as I dodged his first punch I got a glimpse of Naruto's souring face. He redoubled his effort to hit me as I just moved a couple of inched out of his range as I slowly paced myself back towards the edge of the dirt ring. He must have thought he had me on the ropes as I briefly glance backwards because grin split his face.

Poor boy didn't even know I was leading him on and how quickly he was about to be reminded why I was on top of the class. With only three steps or so left till the edge I moved in my counter offensive. The punch to my face was evaded with a quick move of my head as my right hand shot out and buried in his stomach. Before his face could even contort in pain my right elbow was already moving to meet It as I made sure to grab his shirt with my other hand. As soon as my blow connect with his face I was using the momentum of my swing to pivot on my feet and turn around. My grip on him making him follow my lead but before he could completely turn around with me I let got and allowed his head to hit the ground just outside the circle.

As I exhaled and looked towards Iruka I was a bit surprised by the wide-eyed and bewildered looks I was getting which only confused me internally. I just took him down in the most efficient way possible was it that strange, though it looked the scared chuunin was the first to regain his composure and after clearing his throat he motioned for me to make the reconciliation sign with Naruto. Having no problem about it I turned back towards the still wide eyed blonde and extend my hand .His expression soured as he stood up but despite almost reaching out to clasp my hand regardless it seemed he changed his mind last second as it passed and grabbed my shirt intending to continue the fight .Of course in response I did the same as my own face set in a scowl .After all despite the fact I had been courteous enough with him here he was ,the little brat, throwing dirt on all my effort to remain polite.

Iruka made sure to separate us before scolding the blonde about how disrespectful he was being and so on, in the mean time I vacated the ring and moved to stand against where Shino and Hinata were. I received a nod from Shino which translated into "It was a good fight, it'll be a challenge if we get matched up." while Hinata mumbled out a congratulations and kept sneaking worry filled glances at Naruto. Shaking my head in amusement I settled for leaning against the tree while the sparring matches continued. As the last of the students clashed we were then ushered inside the class room after some quick cool down stretches.

* * *

Once we were all seated Iruka informed us that for the final lesson of the day we'll receiving a guest Shinobi to show and explain his area of expertise. We didn't wait long before the door was opened and in walked a scarred man who appeared to be in his late twenties with a nasty expression on his face. It was then that my body tensed and I felt something was not quite right and unnaturally wrong. I didn't have to figure out what or wait long before crimson started bleeding in my reality like out of open wounds and the objects around me started losing color and slowly turning into a twisted negative version of themselves.

My eyes widened as memories of the accident flashed before me in response to crimson that was overtaking my sight. Emotion l had safely bottled warred and bubbled in their confines, trying to come undone in response to what obviously was a genjutsu. The final straw was the shadow behind the scarred man's body which took form of That Man as righteous anger flowed through my veins and every inch of my body. Crimson filled my eyes and whispers of retribution echoed in my ears as a vicious snarl twisted my face right before reality did the same and with the sound of breaking glass it cracked and shattered, returning to how it was originally. How…. How dare the bastard do that, I will kill him, I will burn everything he holds dear and make him watch as he slowly bleeds out unable to do anything.

It was only the knowledge that I couldn't win and the fact I still had an image to maintain that barely stopped me from leaping at him and trying to strangle him with his own entrails. The worst part was that the veteran shinobi knew that, evident by his widening sharp grin. Involuntary a growl escaped me as my body tensed and it was only when I caught Iruka's scowling visage warning me to calm down that I realized I had stood up. So with a blow on the desk that had it groaning in response I sat back in my seat, my eyes never leaving the face of the expert genjutsu user.

Whatever the shinobi wanted to convey had been conveyed because only a few moments after that he brought his hands together and soon the class room was filled with sharp gasping, panicked breathing and the stray scream as the rest of the class came to from the genjutsu they had been put under. My gaze drifted slightly to check on my companions only to see a paler Hinata slightly trembling who then averted her gaze slightly as she also looked in my direction before I switched attention to a slightly heavier breathing Shino. He seemed to be holding up better but the way his face was pinched and the vain on his neck that was straining spoke otherwise. It was only him bringing his hand to the temple and tapping it that made me realize why I was noticing so many details and why Hinata may have reacted like that. So with a calming breath I closed my eyes briefly before opening them once more as they returned to their deep coal state.

I nodded in thanks to him before returning my attention to the guest teacher just as his voice echoed around the room "This my dear fodder was what genjutsu is like and for the next hour I will conveying the intricate ways of this art form that none of you probably have the capacity to understand." Before he could even be interrupted by some insulted student he continued "And who ever interrupts me will find themselves trapped in a genjutsu even worse than the one you just experienced." Sadly, as much as I hated to admit it he turned out right and the next hour truly was spent with me barley trying to gaps some the concepts he explained to us.

As we were dismissed I quickly waved goodbye to my tentative friends, yeah that wasn't a bad term, and made my way out of the academy just itching to get home so I could train and blow all this steam. Passing on the bank of one of the local rivers on the way home I spotted a mop of blonde hair sitting on the small pier and looking onto the water. Noticing my gaze, he turned his face towards my direction and it immediately scrunched up before sticking his tongue out.

My face soured for a moment too and I turned my head away but before I could fully do it as if involuntary my arm raised itself in a wave of goodbye. His wide eyed expression pulled my lips into a small grin that further widened as his expression morphed into a closed eye grinning one as I completely turned away and continued walking, I swear he was such a brat.

* * *

Tensei scratched his scared face as he sipped a bit of coffee content that he had finally finished with the last class of academy students he had to explain genjutsu to ,like the immature brats could understand it .As he passed the windows he was just able to spot the retreating back of one particular student with a fan stitched on his shirt .Well maybe not all of them were a lost cause but still it was a pain to teach and he could not understand how the chuunin assigned could do it twenty four seven .

Speaking of teachers as he entered the lounge he spotted most of them gathered and as he closed in could hear them discussing their classes. He settled for leaning on the nearest wall and allowed the chatter to wash over him. Blah blah, this civilian will drop out, blah blah this civilian will drop out too, blah blah this number of students will drop because they couldn't handle the genjutsu they were put under, this batch too. Ugh it wasn't like he had even used that strong of a genjutsu, just a simple one that gradually brought their greatest fear forwards and if they couldn't handle that well then they were better off not becoming shinobi at all.

His ears perked up once they moved away from that topic and started discussing if they were any potential hopefuls for early graduation or at least moving up the classes. So far only a few were suggested but it seemed like they were skirting around mentioning one particular name. With a scoff Tensei uncrossed his arms and spoke as an angry visage filtered in his memories "What about the Uchiha brat, he seemed to have spirit if nothing else. "a momentary hush descended among the group of teacher before it rapidly picked up once more in consideration and analyzes. A quicker recovery then expected, a class that never should have been attended, a chance encounter, an impression that wouldn't have been left had the gears of destiny spinning once more and the future was never the same.

* * *

 **An: Well this is finally done, in total in took only two days to write but let me tell you Laziness is the enemy! Another thing of note I suppose is the minor switch of perspective into 3rd person which won't be the last one to happen as some events of the story will be presented like that and I just enjoy writing in that form more to be honest. That's all for now and as always enjoy and beware the typos.**


	6. Chapter 5: Shifting the board

Chapter 5: Shifting the board

It had been a quiet few days after the lesson with the genjutsu expert and in that time I had managed to work through the nerves and anger I had accumulated due to it, breathing out giant fireballs is one hell of a stress reliever let me tell you. It seemed that life would settle back into routine, though Naruto had for some strange reason started challenging me to innate competitions that I of course refused but man was he annoying as he would challenge me anywhere from three to five times a day. I was nothing but patient though and would wear him down with this constant refusal eventually, if I had only known at the time.

That's how I found myself walking towards class with an overly energetic blonde bombarding me with questions and trying to egg me on "Why won't you do it? Are you scared to lose? You can't handle to have you pride shattered in front of all your fans? Think you are too weak, Huh? Huuuh? Huuuuuh?" his face got awfully close in my own personal space and as such I pushed him away with a hand before speaking "For the last time Naruto, I am not racing you on who can break the most rocks with his teeth. Where did you even get this ridiculous idea from?"

Before he could even retort or continue his triad I was saved by the impromptu appearance and interruption of Iruka who ushered the blonde brat away saying he had something important to discus with me. With that done he turned towards me and cleared his throat before speaking "As I told Naruto, there is something I must inform you of Sasuke. After evaluating your current progress, the academy has come to the conclusion that you can be moved to a higher class, the one slated for graduation. I mean it's your choice and you can remain in this one, you can answer at the end of the day so no rush." With that said and after an awkward rub of his neck Iruka continued into the class room.

That piece of information left my mind whirling and trying to come at grips with the situation. The implication of it were rather frightening because with just being myself I had managed to derange the timeline to such an extent in such a short notice. But that, while concerning that I was losing the certainty of knowing the future I had also long given up on trying to maintain it anyways and live like myself. What was actually more important was even if Iruka had worded it like I had a choice in the matter it was evident I didn't really have one. Idly I would have liked to remain in the academy for the full course and grow strong enough before being trust in life threatening situations but it seemed I was out of time.

With a thoughtful expression on my face I entered the class room and took my place between Shino and Hinata. They seemed to want to ask question but with a quick mutter of that I'll tell them more at lunch stopped any inquires before they could leave their mouths. That's how the rest of the classes passed till lunch, in intense silence as I continued to weight my options. The moment break was announced our group wasted no time to reach our usual destination of under the tree and after sitting around it yet with none of us touching their lunch yet. Deciding I've kept them waiting long enough with a sigh I spoke "I've been selected to move up in the graduation class and have until the end of the day to inform Iruka what my decisions is. I am going to accept."

My tone implied that even if it was agreeable to me I didn't really have much of a choice in the matter anyway something both of them probably understood themselves too, having been broth up in a clan as well. For a few moments silence reigned before my ears picked up rustling of boxes being up unwrapped followed by the monotone voice of Shino "I expect to keep meeting here for lunch, Why? Because breaks still remains at the same time and won't be a plausible excuse to say we can't." I didn't need to turn to the other side to guess that Hinata was nodding along before speaking up herself "Ano So did any of you complete the essay Iruka made us do about the first, I am not sure if I covered everything."

With that both of them descended into conversation about comparing their essay and facts they had gathered as I opened my own lunch and started eating while occasionally chiming in with a small pull of my lips settling on my face. It was still tentative, fragile and not fully formed but maybe, without realizing it, I had missed this sense of camaraderie, I've missed being surrounded by a few people I could trust in and while this group still wasn't that maybe one day it would bloom into it.

The rest of the day passed in relative peace and once the last class was over I found myself standing in front of Iruka's desk waiting for him to finish reading through some papers. Seemingly done with them for now he looked up and waited for me to speak which I obliged. "I want to be moved into the upper class Iruka-sensei" with a nod of his head he stood up and handed me a couple of scrolls "Your admission paper was signed by the Hokage and this is the material you'll need to read through in order to catch up with curriculum."

I accepted the scrolls with a blank face and moved towards the door but before I was out his voice rang out once more, slightly tangled with guilt "Report to class room 35 in two days and ask for a Kei-sensei he'll take it from there." in the end I never had a choice and with a final nod I left the room and headed home I had some reading to catch up on after all.

* * *

Two days later I found myself standing in front of class room 35 and after a knock I entered while asking for a teacher named Kei. A brown haired man in his twenties with a missing arm stood up from his desk and answered "Ah you must be the transfer student I was told about, come in, come in." taking a pause for me to enter and stand in the middle of the podium in front of the now quiet class he came next to me before resuming "This is Uchiha Sasuke and he'll be joining our class from today, now how about you pick a seat and we'll start with the lessons."

Hushed whispers of disbelieve surrounded me as I made my way up the rows to one of the few empty seats. A few disdainful comments on how could a kid get here and a couple varieties of such comments also reached my ears but I steady fast ignored them until finally reaching the back row and I sat myself, patiently waiting to see how this would prove different from the lower grade. Interestingly enough the theory had shifted from history lessons about the village to more practical one like our relation with the daimyo and a few of the minor villages, calculation on angles for ambush and general geography on the elemental nations.

As the days passed I discovered that it wasn't the only things to be more advanced, the physical conditioning was even harsher especially to someone that was 4 years younger than the rest but thankfully nothing I couldn't handle even if I did suffer the damage of not getting the first place in everything. In fact, the only field I remained indisputably the best was shurikenjutsu and it was still only by a sliver. It was certainly a challenge that made my blood rise in excitement but I still didn't truly understand how much I would have to catch up until taijutsu practice came around.

When it did come I found myself walking towards the dirt ring after being paired with one Sarutobi Kenshiro, the widely recognized top dog of the class with not only attitude but also skills to back it up. With a stocky build and standing at the height of at least of a hundred and fifty centimeters the brown haired youth made for an intimidating figure for a twelve-year-old and when compared to my smaller stature. Well as the saying goes the bigger they are the harder they fal… was as far as my brain could process the thought before a fist impacted my jaw and rattled my skull while I stumbled backwards and fell to the ground the moment the teacher declared for us to begin.

Eyes wide my hand shot out to touch the bruise already forming on my jaw and judging by the stinging coming from my mouth and blood on my fingers, split lip too. He sure packs a punch but time for idle consideration was over because he was already upon me with an axe kick coming down towards my head. Rolling to the side quickly to dodge I scrambled halfway to my feet before tensing and like a spring lunching myself in the air and towards him. He probably didn't expect it because my fist found purchase in his jaw as I used my other hand as a support to fling myself over his shoulder.

Once more thought my arrogance cost me because just as I thought I had him his left hand shot out and grabbed me midair and slammed me harshly into the ground before I could even react. Breath left me my lungs as I impacted the earth and could only close my eyes in pain. The moment I reopened them I found his fist only inches away from my face and the teacher yelling that the match over. I had lost. I had goddam lost and miserably at that, all because of my arrogance and thinking this would be a walk in the park like it previously had been until now.

The displeasure of losing must have shown on my face because Kenshiro's eyes shown with untold amusement which only served to deepen my scowl as I accepted his hand to stand up and do the sign of reconciliation with him. The rest of the fights I spent not watching and just brooding over my loss, analyzing were I went wrong and swearing to up my training regime, I would not go down so easily again next time. The rest of the day was spent in similar with me brooding and just itching to get away and start training so I could beat that Sarutobi. Maybe if used the Sharingan but my damaged pride would not allow me to use it in a fight no I would beat him with no advantages. As I exited the main academy building my strides fastened with purpose as I ached to reach my home.

Before I could fully leave the premise of the academy I caught something in the edge of my vision that made my already thin temper rise. Just near the path that lead towards the usual lunch spot for our group I saw Hinata being cornered by a bunch of Academy students. Cracking my neck as red overtook my vision and everything became crystal clear I walked towards the group allowing me to hear the bunch of boys berating the lavender haired girl for being a part of a clan of all things and daring to look down on them just cause of that.

The fact Hinata would never do that made me even angrier and as I neared them enough I spoke loud enough to be heard "Oi, wastes of space what do you think you are doing." that seemed to gather their intention but their bravado seemed to falter because the moments they turned around some shrunk back from my angry red gaze that was further enchanted by the setting sun allowing it to glow in the fading light. Before they could even utter a word I verbally struck "Leave before I melt your brains with a genjutsu."

One of the braver ones scoffed and challenged me by saying that there is no way I could do that. An in response a sharp grin broke on my face as I continued with my lashing "Oh don't you remember the genjutsu expert we had in class, well it turns out he liked me and took me under his wing." The reminder seemed to bring back flashback of the lesson they've had with him or maybe it was cause from my eyes because suddenly they were scrambling to get way while shouting that this wasn't the last I've seen of them. Oh bonus it seemed I had even managed to divert attention from Hinata on top of it.

Turning off the Sharingan and returning my eyes to their normal state I turned my attention towards the lavender haired Hyūga just in time to notice her duck her head down with a blush and stutter out "Thanks you but Yo-you didn't have to do that Sasuke-san ,it wasn't that important" that response just made me scoff out loud which made her shrink a bit but before she could take it the wrong way I quickly followed with "Of course it was ,we are friends are we not ." that seemed to have a reaction because her head snapped up to look at my face with incredulity filling her pale eyes, like it was impossible that anyone would want to have anything to do with her.

It was kind of irritating because it just made it seem like the time spent together as a group had been meaningless until now and I voiced as much, which lead to a rapid headshaking from her and numerous apologies. Sighing at her reaction I apologized too as my eyes analyzed her form and an idea slowly started forming in my head that would benefit both of us. Liking it more and more as it took shape I voiced it out aloud "The experience in the new class has being enlightening to say the least so I find myself looking for a sparring partner to practice with. What do you say. "

Her face contoured into thinking and silence descended between the two of us for a few moments before she spoke, unconfidence underlying her tone "I'm not very good or strong but If you'll have me the-then I'll be happy to help." With a nod I quickly responded with "It'll help both of us. "and with that final statement both of us left the premise of the academy filling the air with the occasional idle chatter as the foundation of a tradition that would continue for years to come was established.

* * *

Things started to blur together afterwards as more and more time passed. Increasing the intensity of my own training and the addition of a sparring partner alongside the challenge of actually facing stronger people then me marked the beginning of my steady but certain crawl through the ranks of the class towards the eventual top I planned to grab. Less and less theory was studied and more practical lessons took their place as the date towards graduation grew closer and closer. The frequency of guest teachers also raised exponentially but I had an inkling that it was more scouting on their part then just trying to impart us with a knowledge of their trade.

I swear I saw the eyes of a former Hunter-nin gleam as they focused on my new shield against socializing that sat besides me. It seemed I had a knack for attracting weird or socially awkward people because at a point a Aburame girl that usually was avoided by the rest of the females approached me one early morning and asked if it would possible to sit beside me because it was only logical by viewing our combine lack of interaction with the rest of the class. That's how the group of recluses that was our lunch gathering gained a new member in the face of Aburame Katsumi that besides the obvious softer features almost looked like a twin of Shino.

The best thing about her though that I had been missing until now was her sarcasm and it was such a sight to behold when she unleashed it on people. Oh the back and forth we've had been simple glorious to behold. That was pretty much the only expansion of my social circle if you didn't count the continuously hounding of Naruto about doing his ridiculous challenges, something I still hadn't figured out where he even got the idea from. Asides from that the only thing of note was the improvement of my taijutsu to the point that the instructors had no other choice but to pair me with the Sarutobi. Most of the fights still ended with my loss but I was getting closer and closer to matching him and I was confident that I could even win if I ever used the Sharingan.

My ninth birthday came and passed with little fanfare only serving as marker that only a month had been left till graduation. Which was something my group of friends gave me a lashing for not warning them about it or letting them celebrate it with me after attending theirs. It was just a birthday but I decided to not fight for a lost cause. The one achievement worth marking though was my miraculous victory against Kenshiro when he stumbled out of bounds by accident, though I still counted it. It was the only one though as he too seemed to up his game afterwards, which still itched at my pride that he hadn't until then.

Soon the time for the graduation exams rolled around and I found myself sitting with the rest of the people of what remained of the class, we numbered around 14 which was supposed to be a large number considering how many civilians had been a part of it. While most were nervous I wasn't feeling as pressured, the foot taping was because I like doing it and not because of nerves thank you very much, no matter what Katsumi said. Speaking of her, soon her name was called and she left but not before I wished her luck. With nothing better to distract me until my name was called I turned to watch out of the window.

To my surprise I found a mop of blond that could only belong to Naruto in one of the trees. He seemed to be looking for ways to grab my attention and I had picked just the right time to turn because I saw him reaching for a kunai of all things, the idiot would have thrown it. Grinning now that I was focused on him he fished out a big piece of paper of all things and started scribbling with a marker on it before lifting it to show it to me. Besides the few rude gestures and picture of me with poop what was written was heartwarming "Hinata-chan and Shino were worried about you so I came here to tell you that they wish you good luck, so try and not mess it up like always Teme."

He had to bring out a second piece of paper to get the whole message across but it was enough though despite that I still made sure to return the rude gestures he had been showing me the whole time even if I was thankful he did deliver such a message. If there had been a small smile pulling on my face when my name had been called and I walked towards the test room, then it simply must have been a trick of the light.

Stealing myself I walked into the room where Kei sensei was waiting alongside a familiar scarred chuunin. Bowing my head in greeting my previous instructor began "Hello Sasuke-kun, it's been awhile but let's jump straight into this. Please preform the Kawarimi first, then we'll move on henge and finally the bushin no jutsu." nodding my head in understatement I moved to the center of the room and after flying through the necessary hand seals I felt myself twisting and shifting away before taking the place of the chair that had been placed near me.

Nodding his head Iruka wrote something in his notebook before ushering me to perform the henge no jutsu. With little fanfare I once more did the hand seals and transformed into a perfect replica of the man in front of me, thankful for the detail retention Uchiha were blessed with. With some more noting done Iruka called for me to do the final jutsu that was required of me. With yet another burst of hand seals I willed my chakra into action and formed two ethereal copies besides me.

Seemingly satisfied Iruka motioned for me to dispel them before he spoke "The substitution was satisfactory, not too much smoke and fairly seemingly. The transformation was spot on besides a few details on posture but that is to be expected and the clones were excellent. Congratulation are in order Uchiha Sasuke you pass. From this day forward you are a proud Shinobi of Konoha." It was at that moment that the silent until now Kei threw a headband in my direction that I swiftly caught and tied around my forehead as he spoke "Good job kid but now get out and celebrate, we have others to examine. "

Without further prompt I left the classroom and found myself outside, amidst a plethora of students that had passed and their parents. Knowing the rest would like to hear the news personally I moved towards our usual place but not before throwing a final wave towards Katsumi who was looking my way.

* * *

 **An: Bet none of you expected that did ya... Well neither did I. This marks my first time being able to post twice in the same month so Yay minor achievements. I didn't go in depth as I originally planned but if I had done so there probably would have been at least 3-4 more chapters focused in the academy and to be honest I didn't feel like it. Besides a few events that have to happen in some form this marks the end of canon as we know it and things will just be getting further away as the story progresses. For now Enjoy and beware the typos.**


	7. Chapter 6: Establishing the routine

Chapter 6: Establishing the routine

As the classes for the day ended the rest of our group minus Katsumi gathered at the usual place. There was no reason to announce that I had passed as it was already evident by the headband tied around my head yet I did so nonetheless. I received a round of congratulations and talks about what being a genin would be like but I noticed that amidst the idle chatter that Naruto was oddly subdued. While he wasn't usually part of the group he did sometimes join in when he refused to back down on one of his challenges yet there had been none so far today.

The meeting itself wasn't long and soon Hinata and Shino had to leave or else get in trouble with their parents. That left only me and the blonde as neither of us were in a hurry to head home. Something was clearly bugging him and I was about to suggest going for some ramen as we exited the academy and reached the crossroad on where we usually split up.

I may have not been the closest to him but he was an acquaintance and there was no reason to leave him in a state of misery if I could help it. Though it wasn't necessary because before I could utter anything Naruto straightened up and pointed a finger towards me. Determination shinning on his face.

"Just you wait, I am going to graduate soon too and surpass you and afterwards grow strong enough to take the hat for myself and become Hokage so everyone can acknowledge me as the awesomest ninja there is."

Any words I had prepared were washed away from my tongue as my eyes slightly widened in surprise before closing in acceptance, yeah it our relationship couldn't be anything else but this in the end. Shaking my head with amusement I turned on my heel and started walking the opposite way. There were many things I could have said in response to that but I knew in that exact moment what exactly was needed to be done.

So with that in mind I threw a hand behind me in goodbye as my voice echoed out "I'll be waiting but don't take too long or I might snatch that hat under your nose before you know it Dobe." As I made my way home I made no effort to turn around see the expression that Naruto carried, the cry of outrage and "Teme" was enough to plaster a small smirk on my face.

Two days later I found myself sitting in my usual seat next to Katsumi in our classroom for orientation day that would decide on who would team up with who. Considering the timeline and how early I had graduated I wondered who my sensei might end up as I was pretty sure none of the canon ones had entered the teaching business yet. I was also not certain who I would end up on a team with as to be honest I had not made much effort to observe the rest of my classmates to remember who my skill set would mesh the best with.

Kei-sensei wasted no time to begin listing the teams and their names while interestingly enough starting from eleven and going up. I didn't have to wait long to know where I will be going because as soon as he reached thirteen I heard my name being uttered.

"Team 13 will be Uchiha Sasuke, Aburame Katsumi and Sarutobi Kenshiro."

It almost made me laugh at the irony of being placed on t such of an unlucky number but I held it in and instead only let out a quiet snort that earned a soft elbow to the ribs from my seatmate and now teammate. I was glad to be on the same team with a familiar face that I was comfortable with it and while I was not a fan of the Sarutobi I could also not deny his skills so overall it was not a bad selection. The only thing left to figure out was who would be our sensei.

A look and nod of appreciation was shared between me and Katsumi as our instructor announced a short break before he introduced our Jounin sensei. Thankfully it didn't take long and soon everyone was seated once more with the only difference being that some people had rearranged themselves to sit where their teammates were including Kenshiro who was now seated next to us. No words beyond a few more nods had been exchanged before the first Jounin entered to retrieve his team.

The first two were generic faces that rang no bells regarding cannon but it was when the person who was to be our sensei entered that recognition sparked. Of average height with dark hair tied in a spiky ponytail he would have easily passed off as an average member of the nara clan if not for the way he was dressed or the two distinctive scars on the right of his face that gave away his identity right away.

Even without having knowledge of the show and relaying on just the memories of Sasuke the visage of Nara Shikaku a member of the famous Ino–Shika–Chō trio and Jounin commander of Konoha was unmistakable. My eyebrows rose in surprise as my mind whirled with why him of all people was assigned as our team leader as he lazily called our team "Team 13, follow me."

We scrambled out of our seats to follow as he didn't wait for us at all and was already exiting the room. All we managed was the exchange of confused glances or at least I hoped I wasn't the only one, it was hard to tell with Katsumi but Kenshiro was at least sharing my sentiment though probably for different reasons.

We walked quickly through the streets of the village as they gave way to the area were most training grounds were located. The spot we reached was generic as they came with just a clear field of grass surrounded by trees. As we reached the center of it where three training posts were Shikaku finally decided to turn and face us and after giving us a quick glance he spoke.

"Alright, this is too troublesome so I'll only say it once so listen up brats. There's usually a test that determines if you are fit to be genin or be sent back either to the academy or outright quit the shinobi program."

A sardonic smile pulled at his lips and crinkled the scars on his face as he locked eyes with us once more before he continued speaking "But let's be real here, not only was that never an option for you to begin with but I am also taking away time from my duties to enter the active roster once more and also instruct you lot. The timeframe we have is limited so that's why there will be no test."

"Instead this will be an evaluation of your skills in order to determine where you all stand and what we will work on going forwards. Now come at me with the intent to kill, anything less and you'll regret it."

More question then answers arouse in my mind at his explanation and so many theories on why he was the one to be our teacher were rising but they were all slowly being pushed back as I fell into a combat stance and prepared for the oncoming spar. My teammates were of similar mind as I spotted them doing the same from the corner of my eyes.

With no further explanation needed all of us charged at him at the same time and then found ourselves thrown back in different direction of the field. I hadn't even been able to see him move as he did that and that did not bode well for the rest of the match, none the less I quickly rose back up and as my eyes bled into red I shared another series of nods with both of my teammates. It was going to be a long first day as a genin.

* * *

Laying on the ground arms spread and my body taking in ragged breaths I was proven correct in my assumption that it would be a long day. Tilting my head to the side I noticed the hunched over form of Kenshiro who was sweating bullets as he tried to support himself up with his arms on his knees, not far from him was my other teammate slumped against the tree that might have looked alright if it wasn't for her hair being matted against her forehead and the clear signs of exhaustion that were visible even despite her heavy clothing.

My head moved once more and this time refocused on the taunting visage of our tormentor who looked right as day and not even with dust on his form. We had thrown everything we could at him and when that hadn't worked we began cooperating more and more trying to come up with ways to take him down and each time we failed. The worst part was that we hadn't even been able to force our teacher to use the signature move the nara were known for and instead used simple taijutsu and ninjutsu among the evading.

As my eye were focused on his form I was able to spot his own calculating gaze he had on us. He no doubt was running the spar through his head and drawing his conclusion or where we stood and what we had to work on. Barely a minute passes before he released a sigh and spoke aloud "You are not bad for bunch of graduates but noting above that. We'll have a lot to work on if you want to live beyond a year or so, especially the little wannabe prodigy."

I understood where he was coming from and the fact that I wasn't all that special when it came to achievements but my nose still wrinkled slightly in distaste at the mocking in his tone even if I was the only one laying on the ground.

The worst thing is he knew that and as his eyes moved to mine and his face twitched in an effort for his lips to not be pulled in a smirk. If I had the strength I would have totally attempted to try and deck him even if the chances of connecting were low, it was a matter of pride.

With great effort and willpower, I managed to maneuver my aching body to stand and I was just in time as our new sensei dismissed us for the day. "That's enough for the day, I've seen what I wanted to. We'll met here tomorrow too and for the foreseeable future as I whip you all into at least not so dreadful form." With that said he just waved us off and disappeared in a cloud of smoke as a last mutter of troublesome and needing a drink echoed around.

That had happened exactly one month ago and the rest of the days following it were spent pretty much in the same vein of exertion. We were running through drills, exercises and series of spars either against each other or our sensei though those were rarer, he did have a reputation as a Nara to up hold to after all. Surprisingly or not that much we were able to mesh pretty well as team during that time.

Of course that was helped by the fact that I was already a friend with one of the members and much as I didn't like to admit it Kenshiro was just good at the role of being the friendly teammate and fitting in general. I chalked it mostly to it being a Sarutobi thing, like a special ability or something because it was just not natural I tell you.

Honestly had it not been for all of those factors being present I would have most likely been the troublesome link in the team. I was accepting to a degree but I was also a harsh judge and stubborn once a decision was taken, thankfully my inner sense had not failed me so far and I had already surrounded myself with a group of people I found likable enough for my testes, sort of.

But yes had I been stuck with anyone else from the graduation class I don't doubt that the team dynamic would have been a lot more frigid and unstable. Thankfully for him, Shikaku-sensei ended up dealing with a lot less troublesome then he suspected or maybe he was aware and this was exactly what the Hokage or whoever arranged the teams was aiming for when making up our squad.

This cohesion also meant that it didn't take long for our sensei to sprinkle D-rank missions in amidst our catching up training as he called it. Now they were a real chore to do especially if your body was constantly feeling like a lump of lead and I swear the Nara purposefully took the most physical demanding ones on our worst days just to torture us, I will never look at dog walking the same after that.

My train of thoughts was suddenly interrupted when an elbow lightly burrowed its way into my ribs. Turning swiftly to glare at the perpetrator I could only hiss out "What was for that for?"

With an unashamed smirk Kenshiro returned to painting the fence "You were doing that brooding introspective old man face again."

" I was doing no such thing" turning my head to the other side in order to confirm with the person who always has my back "Tell him that I wasn't Katsumi."

But I was only met with a nod of her head and a mutter of a "You were" so I just returned to painting the fence while grumbling about traitorous teammates. Of course sensei decide it was a good time to indulge in his sense of humor as well and chimed in "Don't worry Sasuke I'll save you a seat for when I go out for a drink with the rest so you can complain about unruly brats."

The irksome laugh of the Sarutobi rang around in response as I turned to glare at Shikaku while contemplating about just throwing paint at him but his amused and knowing raised eyebrow alongside the flickering shadow dissuaded me. I just knew how he would react and being the more mature member of the whole team I kept my cool and silence while painting, also no matter what she said I was not brooding thank you very much Katsumi.

With that another day of simple chores and training passed yet our sensei left us a few words that both excited and left dread to build up in my stomach. After all, hearing that that your team would be taking its first C-rank mission would have startled any fresh genin but especially one that knew what could happen even on one of those.

* * *

 **Well It's been a while and all I can say is that RL can be a kicker. As for the chapter itself well to be honest it has been just sitting around gathering dust for the past few months and it's not all I want it to be but I prefer to just get it out and move the story.** **That's all and as always beware the typos and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


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